It crunches and crumbles with every step: along with snow and ice, plenty of grit also finds its way onto our roads and sidewalks. A wide variety of gritting materials are used in Saxony's municipalities - but what happens to them after the winter?
Granulates to prevent slipping
In addition to salt, grit and brine, the largest municipalities in Saxony rely on heat-treated granulates. In the city of Leipzig, so-called expanded shale is mainly used for gritting, as the city's cleaning department reported on request. The city of Dresden, on the other hand, uses expanded clay: "This material has a particularly good grip and is very suitable for increasing road safety on roads and paths in icy winter conditions," explains Susanne Kirsch from Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH.
Stadtreinigung is responsible for around 30 percent of the winter road maintenance network in the state capital. Since 28 December 2025, it has spread around 90 cubic meters of expanded clay on the streets of Dresden. This corresponds to a filled 30 square meter room with three meter high ceilings.
